Quite obviously our brave city councillors (except for Fraser Forsyth) are not going to answer my questions. So below is an Open Letter to Aberdeenâs 23 City Councillors who voted YES to the Marischal Square Development. Dear Councillors, What or who convinced you that building a row of concrete, steel and glass boxes housing offices short term apartments and retail units is what the people of Aberdeen wanted opposite the historic and magnificent Marischal College? If true that Muse Developments wrote a ÂŁ100m cancellation clause into the Marischal Square contract why did you agree to this? With the price of oil now likely to hit $40 a barrel do you not think you should have factored in changing political and economic circumstances before signing the contract? If youâre convinced the Marischal Square Development is what Aberdeen needs then why arenât you willing to be open about the contract and what you agreed with Muse Developments? Why are you hiding behind contractual legislation and claiming (Councillor Fraser Forsyth) this prevents you from telling the electorate how youâre spending our money? Have you not heard the phrase âopen governmentâ? Do you really think that you and your representatives know whatâs best for Aberdeen considering this and previous administrationâs dismal record of tearing the heart out of Aberdeen city centre? Councillor Jenny Laing seems to be the leader behind this development. Do you really think she has sufficient experience re the redevelopment of a historic site between two of Aberdeenâs best loved buildings i.e. Provost Skene House and Marischal College? Did the ÂŁ50m+ debt that you and previous generations of City Councillors created and subsequently mismanaged play any part in the signing of the Marischal Square Development? Did you not know that Aberdeenâs residents detested the carbuncle called St Nicholas House and after it was demolished the majority of Aberdonians would have preferred a grassed civic amenity area that would benefit everyone? Why did you decide to replace a sixties built (1968) monstrosity with a modern built equivalent? Your deal with Muse Developments is thirty-five years and then the Council takes over the running of the development. Did it not cross any of your minds (obviously not) that St. Nicholas House stood for 46 years and then you had to pull it down because (Councillor Fraser Forsyth) it âwas not fit for purposeâ? What makes you think that in 35 yearsâ time this new City Council Carbuncle will still be âfit for purposeâ? What happens if all youve done is give away the land and profit to the developer and when handed back in 2053 the then Aberdeen City Council has to pull it down because it too is no longer fit for purpose? Have you even heard of âforward planningâ? And what was the rush? Why couldnt you have paid to demolish St. Nicholas House, grassed the area and then consulted with the electorate on how best to utilise the space for future generations? And finally, donât you think the honourable thing for all Twenty Three would be to step down because just like St Nicholas House youâre not fit for purposeâŠ?
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:51:19 +0000
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